This invention relates to an improved assembly for collecting grass clippings, yard debris and the like in a disposable, flexible container which is supported on the lawnmower.
Collectors for receiving yard clippings from lawnmowers have been used for many years. With the older, manually operated reel type lawnmowers, a collector with an open top and front was merely mounted on the mower in back of the reel, and the grass clippings were collected therein. The clippings were then removed from the collector and then disposed of separately and the collector was re-mounted on the mower. Some power drive reel type mowers often use the same type of grass collector.
In the case of rotary, power driven motors, the rotary blade rotates at a high speed and a partial vacuum is created on the upper side of the rotating blade. The grass is cut by the blade while being lifted upwardly by the vacuum and is generally discharged through an opening in the housing, normally along a side wall. Although operators of rotary lawnmower often do not use grass collectors, from the standpoint of safety, it is considered highly desirable to use a collector on the opening in the lawnmower housing for collecting the yard clippings and other yard debris. It is well known that sticks, stones, wire, and the like can be forcefully thrown, and possibly cause serious injury to persons in the vicinity, from the centrifugal force of the rotating blade of the mower. For this reason also, it is highly desirable to use collectors in connection with rotary type mowers.
Generally, commercially used collectors for rotary type mowers comprise a container, as a flexible mesh bag, which is secured to the side wall of the housing adjacent the opening and the clippings and other yard debris are directed into the bag or the like. Representative types of collectors for receiving clippings from rotary type mowers are shown in Bennett U.S. Pat. No. 2,807,126; Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,157; Farnam U.S. Pat. No. 2,942,396; Beal et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,818; Blume U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,666; Weiland U.S. Pat. No. 3,006,128; Moody U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,277; Weiland U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,091; Nolan U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,514; Bauman U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,747; Dahl U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,739; Rutherford U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,189; Enters et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,968; Corbett U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,192; Mathews U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,340; Soldavini U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,503; and Opitz U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,173.
Although the structures of the above patents may disclose useful devices, all are considered deficient in one or more respects. For example, a numbeer of the prior art devices are not suitably safe, as the yard debris and grass clippings can blow directly onto the operator, which is not only an unsafe condition, but also an unpleasant one. Many of the devices are complex in construction and the machines do not all adapt to a wide range of uses, including cutting heavy, moist spring grass, picking up leaves, and operating under dry dusty conditions.
For the most part, the above patents do not disclose collecting the yard clippings or yard debris in a disposable container. It is considered a distinctive advantage to collecting the clippings directly in a disposable container as this avoids the necessity of having to empty the contents of a non-disposable container into a bushel basket or a disposable plastic bag of the type widely used today. Three of the prior art patents, discussed above, show the use of flexible plastic containers for collecting the yard clippings and debris and include the Moody patent, the Enters et al. patent and the Corbett patent. As to each of the devices shown in these references, each is considered less than satisfactory. The Moody patent shows a box-like container at the rear of the lawnmower and having a screen-like top. Yard clippings, are directed into the plastic container. However, the screen opening faces directly up to the operator. A unit of this type is considered highly undesirable when the lawnmower is being used in dry weather, as dust and dirt particles would fly directly up in front of the operator.
The Enters et al patent uses a plastic bag which is supported only along its bottom. Also, a complex inlet and exhaust system require the use of fan blades acting as a separator.
The Corbett U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,192 uses a flexible disposable bag in connection with screening. The bag is removably mounted onto the handlebars. A separate rigid cover is required in order to cover the screening or perforated covering in order to protect the operator. There is no continuous flow of air through the collection chamber, thus seemingly creating a turbulent air flow condition which would be particularly objectionable in dusty weather, as the dust would be blown forwardly and actually into the path of the operator. It is apparent, from the state of the art, that there is a real need for an improved collector for lawn clippings used on a rotary type mower, wherein the lawn clippings and yard debris are collected directly into a disposable flexible container.